★★★★ - EMPIRE
- A fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) pays a basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband (Alexander Skarsgård). The match is initially blissful — but the villagers are unhealthily fascinated by the wicker man. -
Fairy tales are rife with stories of artificial people, constructed or conjured to life from clay (Galatea), wood (Pinocchio) or a doll (Coppélia). They rarely end happily. This much-hyped story about a very different cinematic Wicker Man suggests that these near-human constructions are, in fact, too pure for our cruel world.
In an uncertain time period and non-specific place where people are known by their professions and where women are held subservient to men, the Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) pays the Basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. When he delivers the hulking, devoted Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård), the villagers don’t quite know how to react — but their instinct is quickly to attack the happy couple.
The Wicker Husband is a threat to the entire social order not just because he looks like an outdoor-furniture Skarsgård, but because he treats his wife with respect and fibre-deep devotion. He shows the inadequacy of the other men, embodied by Phil Daniels’ grotesque Butcher, who demands respect without offering much in return. Skarsgård is perfectly cast; he’s been exploring and exploding models of masculinity for his entire recent career, deconstructing the very paragons he could have played — and briefly did, circa The Legend Of Tarzan. The wicker prosthetics are also truly impressive, allowing the soul to come through without ever looking quite human. Colman also brings real delicacy to a woman without much of her own, a tough cookie who just wants a break from mockery and who is surprised to find a genuine companion. Fisherwoman has her own issues to work through, it turns out, because even finding the ideal man doesn’t make life a walk in the park.
It’s a smart take from married directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, though occasionally social commentary comes at the expense of a more sprightly tone, and the pacing can be a little inconsistent. Still, they keep their eye on the characters and the love story, and find a way to weave it all together beautifully. You will believe a woman can love a man who looks like a basket, and wonder if she actually has the right idea.
- Helen O'Hara, EMPIRE
Wicker is now playing at Light House Cinema!